Heel-press.



E. HANSALPAKABL HEEL PRESS! APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 19!? 1,262,335. Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 1- /NVENTDR Patented Apr. 9, 1918 I 9 SHEETS-SHEET 3 ATTYZ? HEEL PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED 1UNE26, I911 E. HANSALPAKAR.

- HANSALPAKAR.

HEEL PRESS.

APPLICATION FlLED'lUNE 26. 1911.

Patented A r. 9, 1918.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 4- E. HANSALPAKAR. HEEL'PRESS.

- APPLICATION HLED JUNE 26. I911- 1,262,335. Patented Apr. 9,1918.

I 9 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

//y l/EN 72 E. HANSALPAKAR.

HEEL PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26; um.

I 1 ,2621335. Pacented Apr. 9, 1918.

- 9 SHEETS-SHEET 6- F #4 1 @5 Q" 5}! a E. HANSALPAKA-R.

' HEEL PRESS.

' v APPLICATION FILED JUNE 251917- 1 ,262,335. Patented Apr.. 9, 1918. I r 9 $HEETS-SHEEI 1' 26 5 h 7 2 F15. t

E.- HAN'SALPAKAIR.

HEEL PRESS. APPLICATION FILED JUNEZG, 19H.

Patented Apr; 9, 1918.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 8 2v Maw Q 1 E. HANSALPAKAR.

HEEL PRESS.

APPLlCATlOH FILED JUNE 26, I917- 9 SHEETS-SHEET 9.

-L. 1+ I M 77 7 69 @"NKEEED sTATEE E W @FMCE EDWIN HAnsALrAKAR, or RANDOLPH, MAssAcHUsErTs; Assmnon T0 BRocKToN HEEL COMPANY, INC., or BROOKTON, 'MASSACHUSETTS, A con'roae'rron or MASSACHUSETTS.

HEEL-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

Application filed June 26, 1917. Serial No. 177,070.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN HANSALPAKAR,

citizen of the United States, residing at Randolph, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Heel-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates tothe art of building heels for boots and shoes. By heels in this connection is meant the blocks or blanks made from lifts of leather, leatherboard, or other suitable material united together, which are furnished to shoemakers to he applied to shoes in the making, and thereafter trimmed and otherwise finished Such heels are made by laying lifts which have been coated with adhesive one upon another in a pile to the required height, this operation being usually called building the heel, and then generally driving a nail, or several nails, through the pile to retain the lifts in their alinement until the adhesive has become firm and hard. The particular purpose of the invention is to furnish a machine in which the heels thus built may be placed as soon as completed, and by which the heels may be held confined under pres sure while the adhesive is drying or setting.

This necessary part of the process of making merchantable heels has hitherto gen erally been performed in the following manner:The operator who builds the heels places them one by one, as soon as completed, on a board until all the available space on the board is occupied. Then the operator lays a second board on top'of the heels so placed and proceeds as before filling the boards with heels and placing boards to be filled on the tier of heels last completed. hen the stack of boards with heels so, placed upon them has become great enough for economical handling, an attendant carries it to a press and assembles such stack with others and then applies pressure to the top of the stack by means of jackscrews or equix 'alent pressure applying mechanism with which such presses are provided. Such pressure applying mechanisms are usually operated manually, the opoator applying all his strength to the lever or handle of the mechanism. After:

a pile or stack of heelshas remained under pressure for a certain time the heels shrink somewhat owing to the evaporation of the liquid in the adhesive which the-lifts have previously absorbed and which has caused them to swell. In consequence of this shrinkage the pressure previously applied is more or less relaXed and it then becomes necessary for the operator of the press to set up the screws again to take upthe slack caused by such shrinkage. Then the heels remain in the press for a length of time sufficient to enable the adhesive to become thoroughly set, this length of time being do )endent on the character of the adhesive user and ordinarily being a matter of several hours,

After that the heel blanks are allowed to dry further for several hours in a place provided for the purpose, called the drying room, where the air is kept warm and dry, whereupon they are ready to be compressed into finished merchantable heels tobe furnished to shoe manufacturers,

There are several objectionable features about the common method of pressing heel blanks above briefly outlined, among which are included the following: i Y

First. The presses are bulky and occupy much valuable floor space. This is particularly true in large factories where great quantities of heels are made and in which there must be a correspondingly large number of presses.

Second. The heels are not put under pressure immediately upon being built up, but

wait until enough heels have been accumulated to fill a press. Most heels are not put inthe press until many minutes and sometimes an hour or more after being built, during which time they stand beside the building operatoi"s bench until. enough have :ICClllIlll'lLllflfGCl to make it economically feasi-- ble to put the heels in the press. During this waiting period the adhesive becomes partially dry or set, and the individual lifts of the blanks, partially dry, have a tendency frequently to warp andthus separate from.

one another. hen the heels in this partly dried condition are put in the press and sub jected to pressurerthe'relation of the lifts toone another-is .violentl. chan ed and the bond created by the partially set adhesive is broken. The adhesive having thus lost some of its strength is no longer as eificient as before and thus does not bind the lifts together after being put under pressure so.

ing mechanism. and the condition of the press itself, that is, whether it is in good working order, or in bad working order so that much or little of the power applied is lost in overcoming friction.

Fourth. The delays and-expense incident to the method used of collecting piles of heels from the operator who builds them and carrying them to the'presses.

' Fifth. The length of time required for the heelsto pass to the press, the time they remain in the press and the subsequent time they remain in the drying room, which makes the proportion of heels in process of construction to completed heels unduly large.

Sixth. After removal of the heels from the press the boards must be separated from the heel blanks and returned to the operators. This is a service which is the cause of additional expense.

The object of my invention is to do away with all of the objectionable features hereinbefore pointed out and to furnish a pressing means which does not occupy any space which would otherwise be available for other uses in which the heels may he placed by the operator as soon as completed and automatically put under pressure, in which the pressure thus supplied is uniform upon all heels, in which the heels are so ventilated that they are so far dried not to he required to be placed in the drying room hefore being compressed into merchantable heels ready for application to shoes. and by which the boards are automatically sopa rated from the heels and returned to the operator ready to be again filled with new heels.

The means by which I accomplish the foregoing obyects, in which my invention consists, are set forth in the following speci fication and pointed out in the cianns in connection with the detailed description of a specific apparatus embodying the invention. The drawings forming a part of this apparatus represent the particular machine thus described and presented for the purpose of illustrating the invention, but without intent to limit the same tosuch specific 1,ec2,see

Figure l. of the drawings is a front elevation of the machine referred to.

Fig. 2 is a partial section on line 2 2 of Fig. l and an elevation of the parts of the machine at the left of such line.

Fig. 3, is an elevation of the right hand side of the machine.

Fig. 4: is a vertical cross section. taken approximately on line 4iof Fig. 1.

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail sectional views of parts of the opposite side frames of the machine.

Fig. 7 is a sectional'detail view of pulley which drives the main shaft of machine.

Fig. 8 is a vertical cross section. on line s s f Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view illustrating one of the latches which prevents the stack of heels in the press from dropping.

Fig. 10 is a sectional detail view of the means for applying pressure to the heels in the press.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the upper part of the press showing particularly t the the 11C means for separating the heel. carrying boards from the heels and returning such boards to the operator.

Fig. 12 is an elevation as seen from the right of Fig. 1 of the separating and returning means last referred to.

- Fig. 13 is a plan view of the top of the press.

Fig. 14 is an elevation of the upper pat of the press as seen from the left of Fig.

Fig. 1.5 is a detail sectional view on line 15-15 of Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is a plan view snowing a part of the heel expelling mechanism, also shown in Fig. 18 but in a different position.

Fig. 17 is a sectional view on line ll ll of Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is a cross sectional view of the press taken on line l818 of Fig.

Fig. 19 is a sectional view taken on line 19-19 of Fig. 18.

Fig. 20 is a plan view of parts below "in: line 20'-2O on Fig. 1.

Fig. 21 is a detail of the main driving gear and the pulley therefor.

Fig. 22 is an elevation and part so tion on line 2222 of Fig. 21. a

Fig. 23 is a view of the parts snown at the right hand side of Fig. but occu; ing a different position from that i lustrated in the latter figure.

Fig. 2% is a sectional elevation. on line 2%24; of Fig. 523 and of the parts at the right of sa1d line.

Fig. 26 is a vertical section on line 2626 of Fig. 25 showing only the upper part of the machine.

Fig. 27 is a plan view of parts below the ine 2727 of Fig.26.

Fig. 28 is a plan view similar to Fig. 25, but showing the movable parts in position to cause operation.

Fig. 29 is a front elevation of a detail of the board separating and returning part of The same reference characters designate the same parts in all the figures.

In the following description I Wlll for the sake of brevit designate the articles.

which are treated or dealt with in this machine as heels, instead of using a more cumbersome, although more accurate, term to designate that such articles are not finished heels or even merchantable heel blanks. It will be understood that as here used the term heel includes the collection or pile of lifts with intermediate layers or films of adhesive, just as they are assembled or built by the heel building operator. Such heels may or may not contain one or more nails to hold the lifts in alinement while they remain on the receiving board and before they have been put under pressure in the press.

The term board as herein used is intended to include any sort of plate, tray or the like having an extended surface capable of supporting heels side by side or in rows. The trays or plates used for this purpose are generally made of wood and are called boards, probably for that reason, although they are not always simply fiat boards. Under the foregoing definition it will be understood that the term board as used in the following specification and claims includes any holder of whatever form and Whatever the material of which it is made, which is capable of supporting heels and of being placed in and acted upon by a press in substantially the manner hereinafter indicated;

The embodiment of the press herein shown comprises a base 1 from which rise four cornl r posts, all of which are designated by the numeral and these posts are connected together and braced by horizontal transverse l's.

Freferably these posts and bars are of rolled steel, the posts being of an angle section and the transverse bars of channel section; but these are detalls of construction which may be modified without departure from the spirit of the invention.

Mounted on the base areposts l--45 havmg bearings 55 in which 1s mounted a main shaft 6 carrying a worm '7, which meshes with a worm gear 8 on'a transverse shaft 9 whlch is mounted 111 bearlngs 1010 on posts 1l1l also secured to the base. The driving pulley 12 is supported loosely on the main shaft6 and is rotated. by a belt:

13 from any convenient countcrshaft. The main shaft also carries a second pulley 1a which is fast thereon and drives abelt 15 for a purpose later explained.

On the ends of the shaft 9 are cranks 16-16 engaged with connecting rods 1717 which are connected through wrist pins l818 with a table 21. Said table is shown in plan view Fig. 18. On two ofits opposite edges are shoulders 22 each defining a guideway whichreceives a guide 23, the latter being a bar running parallel to the posts and connected to the transverse beams 3 by screws 25. There are two of the guides 23, one at each side, these being located in the narrower sides of the frame. In each of the intermediate and wider sides of the frame are mounted two guides-2626, the function of which is primarily to guide and also. apply frictional pressure to the heel carrying boards which are forced upward though the interior of the press frame by' the movements of the table as willfpresently be described. For this reason the guides 26.

and likewise the guides 28, which have like functions, are formed with broad flat surfaces on their inner sides which are adapted to bear against the edges of the heel carrying boards. The screws 25 which support these guides are threaded through the bars 3, as shown in Figs 5 and 6, and their innor ends are reduced in diameter to provide projections 27 entering holes in the guides, and shoulders bearing on the outer sides of these guides. Thus the guides are supported and at the same time'are iapable of be} .ing adjusted in or out so as to apply pres sure of any desired intensity against theedges of the heel boards for the purpose of creating such friction. as will support the boards with the load of heels thereon. Preferably eachof the transverse frame bars is provided with such screws and said bars are comparatively near together, whereby the guides 'nray be locally adjusted at many points and the pressure exerted by them against the heel boards may thus be :made substantially uniform at all points. I

At the front of the machine, and approxi mately at the same level as the top of the table when in its lowered position is a shelf 28 (see Figs. 2 audj) onqvhich the heel heels and'between two operators at adjoining benches without interfering with the freedom of movement of either operator and without requiring the operators to be placed farther apart than is required in any event by the present common practice. Thereby it is made possible to provide a press beside each heel building operator in spaces which always exist in heel factories and for which there is no other present use. In other words, my press occupies only space which would otherwise be unavailed of and does not require any valuable space for its installation, Thus placing the press brings the shelf 28- beside the heel building operator conveniently for her to place the heels as they are made upon a board lying on this shelf.

The driving pulley 12 is constantly ro. tated by the belt 13, but the table 21 is only intermittently operated, wherefore the pulley 12 is mounted loosely and means are provided for coupling and uncoupling the same to and from the shaft. Any form of clutch. suitable for the purpose and including clutches which are already in .use in connection with intermittently acting machines may be used for this purpose, but Thave provided a special means for performing this function in connection with a mechanism for throwing into operation the heel ejecting devices at the same time.

911 the inner end of the pulley hub is a.

stud 2 9, at one side of the shaft 6, and the shaft carries a stud 30 at the same distance from'its aXis as thestud 29-. The pulley movably axially on the shaft 6 so as to cause these studs to interfere, as shownin Fig. 23, and also to bring one clear of the other, as shown in Fig. 21, whereby the pulley is respectively coupled to the shaft and uncoupled therefrom. The pulley is so moved for this purpose by a lever 31 p.iv-'

oted at 32 to a bracket 33 secured to one of the corner posts, and carrying a stud 3% with roller 35 on it, as shown in Fi 7,

which enters a groove 36 in the outer hub of thepulley. A rod 37. (Fig. 20) is con neeted to a stud 38 on this arm and passes through the twov corner posts at the adjacent side of the machine. A spring 380 presses against one of the posts and against a collar 89 clamped adjustably on the rod, thus pushing the rod toward arm 31 and tending toplace this arm in the position shown in Fig. 20, wherein the coupling provided by the studs. 29! and 30 is disconnected. Rod 37 moves freely endwise' through the posts- An upright ope *atingrod 40 runs beside.

the corner post 2 nearest to the free end of lever 31, being supported in brackets 41 upon said post. This rod 40 carries an operating handle 42 in a position easily accessible to the operator, and carries an arm as which is connected by a link it and a pivot pin with the lever 31. Such lever rests on a guide bracket e6 which has a stop 4:7 atv the outer side of arm 31 so as to arrest the latter when the coupling has been disconnected. The connection between arm 4(3 and link 4:4: is made by a pin 48 occupying a slot d9 in the link, which provides lost motion for a purpose presently to be explained.

The guide bracket t6 carries lugs supporting a pivot 59 on which are mounted two latches 5 1 and 52, of which the former has a toe portion 53 and the latter a toe portion 5% adapted to engage the outer side of the arm 81 when the latter is moved inward to couple the pulley with the shaft, thereby holding the pulley in the coupled condition. The toe 53is somewhat farther from the stop 47 thanis the toe 54, while thetail 52 of the latch 52 extends farther inward than the tail 51 of the latch 51. Onthe under side f the table 21 is secured a block 55 in which is mounted the-upper end of a depending rod 56, the lower end 56 of which is bent and extended horizontally so as to overlie the tail piece 52*. Secured adjustably onthe rod '56 is a pawl carrier 57, the same being formed as a block 7 having a passage way in which the rod 56 1S contained and carrymg a set screw 58 adapted to hear on the rod to secure the pawl carrier. A pawl 59 is hung by a pivot pin 60 to the carrier block 57 and projects below the same directly in front of the part 56 and in the same vertical plane with the latchbl, behind which it lies and below the tail part of which its lower end extends. This lower end is widened at its forward side to form a toe which is adapted to engage the tail 51 and press down upon the same when the table descends from its raised position. This pawl is pressedforward by a spring 62 in the carrier block to the limit imposed by a stop 63 on the block. Asthe toe of the pawl passes. the latch in the upward movement of the table its inclined toe wipes against the end of the latch tail 5 1 and is retracted against the yielding resist: ance of spring 6.2, springing forward as soon as it has passed the tail into theposition above the same.

It will now be appreciated that when the operator seizes the handle a2 and draws it outward the pulley shifting arm 31 is drawn inward. When said arm has been thus drawn inward far enough to couple the pulley with the shaft 6 the latch.v toe 5.3 which previously rested upon the arm 31 drops in front ofthesame, and holds .it-inthe coupling position. The lost motion provided by the pin 48 and slot 49 allows the handle to be returned to the normal position close to the frame. The shaft 6 is noW set in rotation and drives cranks 16 through the worm and wheel gearing so as first to raise the table 21 and then lower it. As the table rises it carries the latch operating finger 56 away from the latch 52, allowing the latter to drop with its toe 5 1 in front of the arm 31 and raises the pawl 59 above the tail part of latch 51. Asthe table descends by reason of the continued movement of the driving mechanism the pawl 59 first engages latch 51 and releases the same from the arm 31, which is then allowed to move outward until it is stopped by the latch toe 54., and as the pawl passes by the latch 51 the toe of the latter drops upon the upper side of the arm 31. Continuing descent of the table brings the finger 56 upon the latch tail 52* and raises the toe 54., thereby releasing the arm 31 and allowing the same to be pushed out by the spring 380 and to move the pulley into the uncoupled position. The mechanlsm then stops with the table in its lowest position and the finger 56 resting on the latch 52. The two latches are provided in order that one may secure the pulley shifting arm when the pulley is first coupled to the shaft, and that the other may release this arm when the cycle of the table is completed.

The mechanism hereinbefore described remains at rest in the position indicated in the drawings while the operator fills with heels a board resting on the shelf 28. When the board is filled the operator slips it from the shelf on to the table, the board in that position being designated 64 and the heels upon. it 65. When the table is ralsed the loaded board is lifted and forced between the guides 2626 and.2323 at the opposite sides of the frame. It will be noted from Fig. 1 that the guides 26 at the forward side of the frame terminate above the space through which boards loaded with heels are passed to the table. The board is then. held by the friction exerted by the guides on its edges in the position indicated by 6 1, and when the table descends it leaves the board in that position. As a means for additionally securing the boards so placed,

I provide latches 66 66 pivoted on the outer sides of the guides 2323, the latching parts of which pass through holes in these guides directly under the edges of the board 6%, as shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. These latches are beveled so that they are displaced by the rising board and they are acted upon by springs 67 as shown in Fig. 9 so as to be placed under the board as soon as the same has passed them.

Each successive board with its load of heels is placed in the position last described,

the normal condition of the machine after it has once been put in operation. Each new charge of heels raises the stack already in the press and at the same-time the topmost layer of heels is discharged. I will now describe the means for automatically.

discharging the top layer of heels, which works in connection with the mechanism already described for operating the table.

Near the top of the frame are mounted two horizontal projecting beams 68 carry-,

ing a cross rod 69 near their outer ends, and on this cross rod is pivotally mounted a frame consisting of side bars 70 and a plate 71 to the edges of which are secured the bars 70. One side of this plate extends substantially the whole length of the frame and forms a shelf 71 while the other side is cut short to leave an opening somewhat longer than the length of the heel boards. The second side of the bars 70 and is provided with extensions 72 which extend over and rest upon the topmost heel board, which isdesignated in the drawings as 649. The space between the plates 71 and 72 is enough wider than the thickness of the board to enable the latter to pass freely between them. The function of theplate 70 with its extensions 72 is to support the inner and freely swinging end of the pivoted frame in line with the topmost heel board so that such board when it is discharged will pass over the plate 71. This function is capable of being performed by any extensions equivalent to the extensions 72. It isnot essential that the plate 72 extend entirely across the swinging frame, and I may omit that portion of said plate if desired.v The feature to which I direct attention at this point is, however, that this frame has projections which overlie and bear on the topmost heel board, and any projections or supports which perform essentially the same function and accomplish essentially the same results is within the scope of this part of my invention. The inner termination of the bottom plate 71 of this frame is outside of the press frame. This movable frame, the purpose of which is to receive the ejected heel'boards, may be called the board guide.

After the board has been passed into it by the means presently to be described, it is supported and prevented from falling by a stop consisting of a cross bar 73 attached to and passing under the beams 68 and carrying adjustable set screws '7 i beneath the bottom plate 71 and projecting toward the latter.

flat the side of the press frame is an inclined runway 7 5 hungat one end from the plate 72 is secured to the upper rested by an end outer end of one of the beams 08- and secured at its other end to the main press frame. This runway is adapted to return the ejected heel boards to the operator. Guides 76, 77, which are downwardly and forwardly inclined pass from the side of the board guiding frame under the shelf 71.to the inner side of the runway 73, and rising from the outer side of the runway are guard'posts 7'8, 79 and a guard rail 80. When the heel board passes the outer end of the bottom plate 71 its forward side is unsupported, while its rear side is supported by the shelf "71 ,and it is then tipped off, as indicated in Fig. 35, until it rests on the guides and 77 and conducted by the latter to the runway '7 5, down which it slides until arstop 81 beside the operators position and above the shelf 28.

Beneath the opening between the main press frame and the inner edge-of the board guide'is a chute 82 arranged so as to guide the discharged heels'into a cage or bin "88 mounted at the right hand side of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1. When the topmost. board is ejected into the board guide, the load of heels on the board next below, which is indicated as 64 in the drawings, is ejected into the bin 83.

The means for thus ejecting the heels and heel boards comprises a pusher 84, which is conveniently made as an arm hung by a pivot 85 from'a bar 80, which is adapted to slide back and forth and is provided with a rack 87 for driving it. This bar 86 is supported so as to move endwi-se in guides 88 on the under side of a top plate 89 secured to the vtop ends of the corner posts 2. The pusher 84 inclines toward the stack of heels and is widened at its inner end so as to hear on a considerable extent of the edge of the uppermost heel board, and from this end is hung a cleat- 90 extending across all the rows of heels on the board 04 next below the top board. This pusher is adjustable by means of a stop screw 91 bearing'on the under side of the slide 80 so as to bring its pushing end and the cleat 90'into the planes of the board and heels which'they are respectively intended to engage. The slide and pusher are normally held in the position shown in the drawings by a weight 92 arranged in vertical guideways 93 on the left hand sideof the frame and hungby a flexible line 94 which passes over the pulley 95 on the top of the frame to a post 96 rising from the slide 86 in front of the top plate 89. The post 96-bearing against the edge of the plate is a stop to limit the outward movement of the slide and pusher. Directly above and in the same plane with the weight is a bar97 (see Fig. 14) hung'upen studs 98 which pass through slots 99 in the bar and are-secured to the frame. A spring 1001's connected to this bar and to the frame so as to exert a downward pullon the latter. The function of this spring and 'har is to exert an initial starting impulse on the weight in order to retract the pusher quickly after the same has been advanced in expelling the board and heels, the weight being at that time raised and pressing upon A clutch 104 is splined on shaft 102 and is adapted to be brought into and out of connection with complemental clutching element assoclated with the pinion 101. These clutching elements in the form of invention here shown are studs 105, 106 eccentrically mounted on'the clutch member 104 and on the pinion respectively at the same distance from the axis of shaft 102 (seeFigs. 2 and 14). The clutch shifter is a lever 107 pivoted by a pin 108 on the top plate 89, one arm of which carries a stud 109 entering a groove in the clutch member 104. The other arm of said shifter lever extends beyond the left hand side of the frame and is there connccted with a link 110, which latter is connected to an arm 111 on the controller rod 40. The connection between the shifter'l'ever 107 and the link 110, being by means of a pin 112 on the lever and a slot 113 in the link, provides lost motion, permitting the controller to-bereturned to normal position after coupling with the clutch. The spring 114 is engaged with the shifter lever 1 07 and normally holds-the latter against a stop 115-affixed to the top plate. There is also a latch arm 116 mounted by a pivot pin 117 on thet'op plate and held by a spring 118 yieldingly against a stop shoulder 119 on the shifter lever. The movement. ofthe shifter lever which connects the clutch carries this shoulder past the shoulder 1200f the latch, which latter is caused by its spring.

to pass in front of the stop 1'19 and so hold the clutch shifter in the position for con necting the clutch, which is that shown in Figs. 16 and 28. A finger 121 is mounted on that part {of the slide 86 which projects to the left'of'the frame, in the same plane with the latch -116'andtherefere adapted to strike and displace said latch when the slid reaches the limit of its intendedmotion.

It will now be understood that when the operator moves the control handle 42 so as to set the table 21 motion, the pinion 101 is atthe same'time clutched to the shaft 102, which is set in motionsimultaneously with the main shaft '6 by the pulley 14, belt 15 and pulley 103. Then while the table commences to rise the ejecting pusher is pro pelled toward the outlet, displacing the topmost board 64' into the delivery guide therefor and ejecting the heels from the next lower board 692 over the chute 82 into the bin 83. In case any of the heels should be stuck by an excess of the adhesive tov the under side of the topmost board, as shown in Fig. 33, they are dislodged by a scraper 122 over which the board travels with its under surface close to the edge thereof. This scraper may be the edge of the plate 71 or an independent knife attached to the side bars in the same plane with the plate 71. lVhen the pusher has reached the end of its movement, the finger 121 displaces the latch 116 and allows the spring 114 to return the clutch shifter 107 so as to uncouple the pinion 101. The stretched spring 100 then gives the slide an initial returning impulse, which is continued by the weight 92 until the pusher has returned to the normal position. As the motion of the table isslow, being derived through a worm and wheel gear, while the movement of the pusher is rapid, the topmost board and the top layer of heels are ejected before the stack has been raised by the upward movement to any appreciable extent.

In the foregoing description the side of the apparatus which is placed toward the position occupied by the operator when building heels has been considered as the front, and the directions left and right have been used with reference to the position of a person facing the front of the ma chine as thus defined. These terms indicating direction have been used for convenience of description solely and without i11- tcnt to limit the invention to the precise construction and arrangement of the apparatus herein shown in any other manner than as required by the express terms of the appended claims.

The machine thus described is automatic to the extent that it automatically applies pressure to the heels, automatically ejects heels fromthe press after they have remained long enough for the adhesive to become set, and automatically returns the empty boards to the operator ready to be filled again. Thus it makes unnecessary the services of attendants to collect filled boards and return empty ones to the operator. It applies uniform pressure to all the heels, this pressure being that necessary to overcome the friction of the entire stack of boards in the guides plus the weight of the collection of boards and heels. This pres- .sure is applied in the first instance by the table which rises beneath the stack and causes the collection of heels which it carries to bear the entire load above the stack plus such friction, and once applied the pressure is maintained by the friction between the board and the guides. The presof the table sure is continually renewed by the successive impulses applied to the stack every time a newly loaded board is added to the bottom of the pile,'whereby the shrinkage of the heels in drying is continually and automatically compensated for.

The heels are put under pressure almost as soon as built, that is, as soon as the operator has built enough heels to fill one board. Thus the time which elapses after the first heel on the board has been built before the board is filled and the whole put under pressure is on the average in the neighborhood of eighteen minutes. thatever the time may be,-however, it is evidently, only a small fraction of the time required to fill from two to six boards, that is, of tee time usually elapsing under the present method before aheel is put in the press. Thus the cement or adhesive has not had time to set before the heel is put in the press. In this description I have assumed that a slow drying paste is used, pastes of thistype being the sort most generally used in heel factories and being preferable for various reasons to the newer quick drying pastes. Once in the press the heels are maintained under uniform pressure for a long enough time to enable the adhesive to become firmly set. As an indication of what this time would commonly be, I would say that the machines which I have built have capacity for a stack of from thirty to sixty filled boards, according to the height of heel be ing made. Assuming that the heels are so high that only thirty boards are accommo dated and that it requires the operator eighteen minutes to fill each board, it will be seen that a total time of nine hours at the least is required to fill the entire press. That is the time required for any one filled board to pass from the entrance of the press at the bottom. of the stack to the outlet at the top, and during all that time the heels remain under pressure. Then after being ejected from the press the heels are retained in the bin until the latter is filled and there they are further dried, wherefore by the time the heels are finally taken from the bin they are so thoroughly dried that they may be taken directly to the heel compressing machines without having first to be left in the drying room. 7

The time and labor required under the old method for stacking'up heels in the press and taking down a stack and sorting out the heels and boards is wholly eliminated with this machine, wherein each tier of heels is put under pressure singly andejected singly without loss of time.

The operation of the machine imposes no additional labor upon the operator, who is ableto place heels on the board supported upon the shelf 28 easily as she can place them on boards arranged in the ordinary by the description of itspurpose and function. Since the table here shown is designed not only to support boards loaded with heels, but also to place such loaded boards in the stack with others, and to apply the pressure under which the heels are confined while drying, it is in effect a trans ferrer and a pressure applying pusher,

therefore the descriptive term by which it is designated includes any device, however constructed and arranged, which exercises transferring or pressure applying functions, and is to be so construed.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A heel press adapted to support a stack 7 of boards with heels thereon and having provision for placing such boards at one end of the stack, means for exerting pressure endwise of the stack to the board last placed, and provisions for removing boards and heels from the opposite end of the stack.

2. A heel press comprising a frame having friction causing guides adapted to engage the edges of heel boards, means for forcing boards loaded with heels between said guides and thereby displacing the boards and heels already between the guides, and means for ejecting boards and heels from the'end of the stack opposite to that at which such pressure is so applied.

3. An automatic heel press comprising guides surrounding a space adapted to receive boards loaded with heels and to press firmly against the edges of boards inserted there into, a pressure. applying plate or table movable back and forth in line with said space, an inlet for admitting loaded boards between said table and the entrance end of said space, mechanism for actuating said table and an outlet from said space from which the boards and heels are separately removed.

&. A heel pressing apparatus comprising a frame adapted to contain a stack of boards with heels loaded thereon, means for receiving, and applying pressure to, boards charged with heels inserted individually in said press, and means for removing pressed and dried heels individually from said press.

5. A heel pressing apparatus comprising a frame adapted to contain a series of heel carrying trays loaded with newly built heels,

means for exerting friction-causing presneeaees sure against the trays in said frame to resist movement of the'trays, means for adding a loaded tray at one end of said series and for applying pressure through the same suflicient to move the series against such frictional resistance, and means for automatically removing boards and heels from the opposite end of said series.

6. A heel pressing apparatus comprising a frame adapted to contain a series of heel carrying trays loaded with newly built heels, means for exerting friction-causing pressure against the trays in said frame to resist movement of the trays, means for adding a loaded tray at one end of said series and for applying pressure through the same sufficient to move the series against such frictional resistance, means for automatically removing boards and heels from the opposite eud of said series, and means for autoinatically separating the boards and the heels so removed from one another.

7. A heel pressing apparatus comprising a frame adapted to contain a series of heel carrying trays loaded with newly built heels, means for exerting friction-causing pressure against the trays in said frame to resist movement of the trays, means for add ing a loaded tray at one end of said series and for applying pressure through the same suilicient to move the series against such frictional resistance, means for automatically removing boards and heels from the opposite end of said series, and automatic means for separating the boards from the heels so removed and returning such boards to the operator.

8. An apparatus for pressing newly constructed heels comprising a frame adapted to receive boards or trays loaded with heels and to confine the same in such manner that the heels are held under pressure but the loaded boards are also movable from one end of the press to the other, said press having an inlet in which boards loaded with heels may be placed from time to time, and means for applying pressure to the boards so inserted and at the same time propelling the collection of boards and heels toward the outlet.

9. A heel pressing apparatus comprising means for holding a stack of boards loaded with heels, having an inlet for admission of such boards at one end of the stack and an outlet forejection of boards and heels at the other end of the stack, means for pressing upon the board inserted through such inlet and thereby shifting the entire stack toward the outlet, an ejector arranged to expel the topmost board and the adjacent tier of heels from such stack, and a common controlled means for setting said pressure applying means and said ejector in operation.

10. A heel press adapted to contain a stack in a direction toward such outlet.

11. In a heel press having provision for containing a stack of boards or trays with heels upon and between such boards, a guide located at one side of said press through which the endmost board of such stack is adapted to pass, and means for expelling such board from the stack into said guide.

12. In a heel press having means for containing a stack of boards or trays with heels loaded thereon and an outlet adjacent to one end of said stack, means for expelling the endmost board and the contiguous tier of heels through such outlet, a receptacle for heels so expelled, and a guide arranged to conduct boards so expelled over said receptacle.

13. A heel press adapted to contain a stack of boards loaded with heels having an inlet for such boards at one end and a lateral outlet'at the opposite end of the stack, means for applying pressure to such boards and heels and intermittently propelling the stack from said inlet toward said outlet, an ejector for expellingthe endmost board and the adjacent tier of heels through such outlet, and guiding means arranged adjacent to the outlet for receiving the boards so expelled and returning such boards to a point near said inlet.

14. A heel press comprising an upright frame having a support adapted toreceive a stack of boards and heels supported on such boards, said frame having an inlet at one side, means for supporting the stack above said inlet whereby boards may be passed through the inlet below the stack, a table normally arranged below said inlet to receive boards passed therethrough, and means for moving said table so as to transfer the board so placed to the stack and at the same time apply pressure through such board to the stack.

15. A heel press comprising an upright frame having an inlet at one side, means within the frame above the inlet adapted to receive a stack of boards loaded with heels and constructed to apply friction-causing pressure to opposite edges of said boards whereby to hold such stack and yieldingly resist movement thereof through the frame, a support outside the frame at the level of the inlet on which aboard is placed while being loaded, a table within the frame normally held in such a position that a loaded board may be readily placed upon it by being passed from said support through the inlet, and automatic mechanism under the control of the operator for raising said table with the loaded board thereon into the stack holding part of the frame.

16. A heel press comprising a frame having an open interior adapted to contain a stack of boards loaded with heels, guide members extending longitudinally of said space on opposite sides thereof, means for adjusting said members inwardly with re spect to said space whereby to exert pressure against the edges of such boards contained therein, means for propelling such stack of boards through such space, an ejector arranged to move across one end of said space for expelling boards and heels therefrom, and a common controlling mechanism for setting said ejecting means and said propelling means in conjoint operation.

17 In an apparatus for pressing heels in combination with means adapted to contain a stack of boards loaded with heels and maintain the same under pressure, and a pressure applying apparatus arranged to add such boards from time to time to such stack. at one end thereof and at the same time advance such stack, a pusher laterally movable across the advancing end of the stack having means to engage the endmost board and the tier of heels adjacent thereto, mechanism operating said pusherincluding a manually connectible clutch, means associated with said pusher for disconnecting the clutch, and a potentially active retracting means for-returning said pusher upon disconnection of the clutch.

l8.- In an apparatus for pressing heels in combination with means adapted to contain a stack of boards loaded with heels and maintain the same under pressure, and a pressure applying apparatus arranged to add such boards from time to time to such stack atone end thereof and at the same time advance such stack, a pusher laterally movable across the advancing end of the stack having means to engage the endmost board and the tier of heels adjacent thereto, mechanism operating said pusher including a manually connectible clutch, means associated with said pusher for disconnecting the clutch, and a potentially active retracting means for returning said pusher upon disconnection of the clutch, said retracting means comprising a weight and a spring arranged to press downwardly on said weight when the latter is in the position occupied 'at the time of disconnection of said clutch.

19. In a press apparatus having provisions for containing a stack of boards loaded with heels and means for propelling such stack, and having an outlet at the side of one end of said stack, a movably mounted guide adapted to admit one of said boards, and means for expelling the endmost board of the stack into such guide, the guide being movable and having an extension overlying the stack and adapted to be engaged by-tho endmost board, whereby it is automatically registered with such board.

20. In a press apparatus havingprovisions for containing a stack of boards loaded with heels and means for propelling such stack,

and having an outlet at the sideof one end.

of said stack, a movably mounted guide adapted to admit one of said boards, and means for expelling the endmost board of the stack into such guide, such guide having an opening at one side at a distance from the stack and a supporting. shelf at the opposite side, whereby a board propelledthrough the guide is tipped therefrom through said opening I 21. In a press apparatus having provisions for containing a stack of boards loaded with heels and means for propelling such stack, and having an outlet at the side of one end of said stack, a movably mounted guide adapted to admit one of said boards-,- and means for expelling; the end-most board; of the-stack into; such guide, said guide having means for supporting; the opposite edges of the boards and one ofsaid. means terminating short of theother, whereby. the board after passing such termination is supported (t one edge only and isthereby caused to fallfrem the guide.

22. In a press apparatus having provisions for containing a stackofboards loadedv with heels and meansfor propelling such stack, and having an outlet at the side of one end of said stack, a movably mounted guide adapted to admit; one of said boards, and means for expelling the. endmfost board of the stack into such guide, said guide having means forsupporting the opposite edges of the boards and one of said, means terminating short'of the other, whereby the board after passing such termination is-supported atone edge only and is thereby caused to fall from the guide, and conducting; means to which such board is thereby delivered and by which the same is carried to the desired location. i

23. A. heel press comprising. anupright frame adaptedto be placedbeside the working position of a heelbuilding operator, said frame having; an inlet at the side next to such position and-providing-a space above said inlet wherein a stack of boardsloaded with heels may be contained, means extending laterally from the upper part of the frame, a guide adapted to receiveg boards supported by. said means, and a runway extending from said guide to a point conven- 1ent to such operators pos tion.

24;. A heel press comprising. an upright frameadaptedto'be placed beside the working position of a heelibuilding operator,said frame having. an inlet at the side next ,to

' such position and providing, a space above said inlet wherein a stack of boards loaded with heelsv may be contained, means extend"- inglaterally from, the upper part of the frame, a. guide adapted to receivevboards supported by said means, and a. runway extending-from said guide toa point conven: ient to such operators position, said guide having. provisions for receiving. a board from the end of the stack which is contained in the frame and also having provisions for discharging, such boardinto said runway.

25. A heel press comprising an upright frame adapted to be placed beside the working position of a heel building operator, said frame having an inlet at the side next to such position and providing. a space above said inlet wherein. a. stack ofboardsloaded withheelsgnay be contained, means extend.- ing. laterally from. the upper part of" the frame, a guide adapted. to' receive boards supported-by said means, and a. runway extending from said guide to a point convenienttosuch operators position, and: means for displacing the endmostfboards of. the stack. successively into said guide and through the" same tov said; runway.

' 26. In aheelpress havingaspace adapted to receive board's loaded with heels andhaving an inlet adjacent. to one end of said space. and. an outlet, adjacent. to the; opposite end thereof, a. reciprocatingpusher for receiving boardsloaded with heels, transferring such boards into said space, and

multaneously.

27. The comb'nation with a: shaft, a driving element therefor and a disconnectible clutch between said shaft and. driving. element, of a clutch shifter, a. reciprocating. table driven byusaid. shaft, and. two

latches for. holding. said shifter in clutch coupling position, one. of saidflatches being operative for that purpose when the table is inoneposition and other being, soope-rative when thetabletisin, another position, both latches being rendered alternately 0perative and inoperative by. the table.

28. The combination of a reciprocating table, of a shaft for driving the same, a drivingv element: for the shaft," a; clutch for connecting said, element with the shaftand disconnecting it therefrom, a clutch shifter for connecting anddis'connecting said clutch, two latches each adapted to hold the clutch, shifter in position for connecting the clutch,

means carried by the table for disconnecting one of said latches when the table is in its normal position of rest, and means carried by the table for first displacing and then releasing the other latch when the table is in motion in a different position.

29. The combination with a reciprocating table, of a shaft for driving the same, a driving element for the shaft, a clutch for connecting said element with the shaft and disconnecting it therefrom, a clutch shifter for connecting and disconnecting said clutch, two latches each adapted to hold the clutch shifter in position for connecting the clutch, means carried by the table for disconnecting one of 15 a difierent position, the second named latch 20 being located so that it leaves the clutch shifter free after having been displaced and released by the table.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

EDWIN HANSALPAKAR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

